Morton havens



M. HAVENS, Ja. & S. B. VAN RANST.

BRANCH Box FOR ELECTRIC CoNDuCToRS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-27.1909.

Patented Auf. 22, lJ.

Smmn row abkonnvd UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

NORTON HAVENS, JR., OF ALBANY, LND SAMUEL B. VAN RANST, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK; SAID VAN RANST ASSIGNOR TO CROUSE-HINDS COMPANY, 0F SYRACUSE. NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BRANCH BOX EOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application led January 27, 1909. Serial N o. 474,469.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, MoRToN HAvENs, Jr., of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, andl SAMUEL B. VAN RANsT, vof Syracuse, in the county of Unondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Branch Box for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification. e

This invention relates to novel means for 'inclosing portions of electric circuits at or contiguous to the junction of branches thereof, and consists in thethe combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional View, partly in elevation, of one embodiment of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the detached body of the device. F ig. 3 is a detail section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the insulating means or ring.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed, a hollowl body l is employed which 1s preferably a single piece of cast metal of cylindrical form and comprises a rear side 2, an outer side wall 3, one or more conduit couplings 4l, and a front side or top 5. The rear side 2 is preferably substantially flat, is secured by any suitable means, as screws 6, to any desirable base 7, as a ceiling, and is provided with a substantially central opening 8 extending therethrough from front to rear andladapted to receive and loosely fit an electric conducting supporting part 9, as a gas pipe, or, other 'lighting fixture standard, here shown as fixed relatively to the base 7, as arranged at an angle ,thereto and as comprising front and rear sections insulated from veach other by an insulating member or coupling 10 of any desirable form, size and construction.

Preferably, the body 1 is provided at its central portion with a part 11 which constitutes an internal wall for the body 1,'is spaced apart from the outer side wall 3, and. incloses a passage 12 forming a continuation of the opening 8 and serving to receive the contiguous portion of the part 9. This Part or internalwall 11 is mounted on the rear side 2, is terminated at the rear 14, but to those skilled in the art, it will be apparent that said'part may be formed integral with the rear side, or if desired, may be entirely 4dispensed with, and that in lieu thereof, other means may be used for electrically connecting the body 1 to the supporting part 9.

The conduit couplings 4 are shown as consisting of linteriorly threaded nipples projecting from the side wall 3 substantially radially of the body 1, and serving to connect to the space between the outer and inner walls 3 and 11 of the body 1, one or more conduits 15 adapted to contain electric conductors 16, and suitably fixed relativelyto the base 7 by any desirable means, as loops 17. Preferably, the couplings or nipples i are of a diameter greater than the thickness of the body 1, their rear sides being disposed in substantially the same plane as the rear side of the body 1, and their front sides projecting beyond the front side of the body. It is apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to conduit couplings consisting of interiorly threaded nipples projecting from the side wall 3, and that any other suitable means may be used for connecting one or more conduits to the interior ofthe body 1.

body 1 from front to rear thereof, `for permitting said body to encircle the supporting part 9, and the opening 18 permits the egress of branches of the electric conductors 16 from the body 1 alongside the supporting part 9.Y Said front side 5 also includes a ring shaped flange 19 projecting from the outer portion of the side wall 3, and overhanging the rear side 2, such flange having a front substantially flat face 20 concentric with the opening l8- and preferably depressed or disposed at the rear of the front sides of the conduit couplings l, said flange having an outer supporting surface for fix tureI members as canopies which surface is disposed throughout its entire extent in a plane substantially parallel With the outer face of the bottom.

Preferably, the branch electric conductors passing thro-ugh the opening 18 alongside of the supporting part 9 are concealed by means, as a shell 21, encircling the supporting part 9 in front of the hollow body l, and having the portion thereof opposed to said body formed of greater diameter'than the opening 18 and arranged substantially concentric with said opening. This shell 21 may be held in place by any suitable means, as a collar 22 on a sleeve 23, carried by the supporting part 9 and projecting Within the shell 21. The body l and the shell 2l are preferably insulated .from each other by suitable means, as a ring 24 having one side resting against the bearing face 20 of the front side 5, and its other side formed With a groove for receiving the opposing edge of the shell 2l. rlhis ring 24 is formed relatively thin, so that its front face is approximately inline With the front faces of the couplings 4.

As will beapparent to those skilled in the art, our invention provides substantial, durable, compact and sightly means for connecting conduits to a ground, and for permitting the egress of branches from electric conductors Within the conduits, and conceal ing said conductors and branches at or con# tiguous to the junctions thereof.

What We claim is l. An electrical conduit outlet box comprising a flat bottom adapted to lie against a base ory Wall, said bottom having a central opening for receiving a xture-supporting pipe passed axially through the outlet box, a side Wall rising from the outer edge of the flat bottom and provided With one or more laterally projecting nipples for detachable 1 connection Withelectric conduits, and a top Wall depressed beneath the plane of the tops of said nipples and formed with a central opening of greater size than the first-mentioned opening for permitting the passage of said pipe and access to the interior of the fitting around the pipe, said top Wall including a ring-shaped flange around the central opening having an outer supporting face for fixture-members as canopies and the like, said face being disposed throughout its entire extent in a plane substantially parallel With the outer face of the flat bottom.

'2. Anelectrical conduit outlet box comprising a flat bottom adapted to lie against a base or Wall, said bottom having a central opening for receiving a fixture-supporting pipe passed axially through the outlet box, a side Wall rising from the outer edge of the flat bottom and providedwith one or more laterally projecting nipples for detachable connection with electric conduits, and a top Wall depressed beneath the plane of the tops of said nipples and formed with a central opening of greater size than the first-mentioned opening for permitting the passage of said pipe and access to the interior of the fitting around the pipe, said top Wall including a ring-shaped flange around the central opening having an outer supporting face for fixture-members as canopies and the like, said face being disposed throughout its entire extent in a plane substantially parallel With the outer face of the flat bottom, and the inner ends of the top portions of the nipples being formed With depressed fiat surfaces disposed substantially in the plane of said outer face of the top Wall.

.3. An electrical conduit outlet box comprising a flat bottom adapted to lie against a base or Wall, said bottom having a central opening for receiving a fixture-supporting pipe passed axially through the out-let box, and said bottom having around its central opening a series of holes for the passage of means for securing the conduit outlet box to said base or Wall, a side Wall rising from the outer edge of the flat bottom and provided With one or more laterally projecting nipples for detachable connection With electrical conduits, and a top Wall depressed beneath the plane of the tops of said nipples and formed With a central opening of greater size than the first-mentioned opening for permitting the passage of said pipe and access to said securing means and to the interior of the fitting around the pipe, said top Wall including a ring-shaped flange around the central opening having an outer supporting face for xtureanembers as canopies and the like, said face being disposed h throughout its entire extent in a plane substantially parallel 'With the outer face of the flat bottom.

, 4. An electrical conduit outlet box comprising a flat bottom adapted to lie against a base or Wall, said bottom having a central opening for receiving a fixture-supporting pipe passed axially through the outlet box, av cylindrical` side Wall rising from the outer edge of the flat bottom and provided With one or more radially projecting nipples for detachable connection with electrical 'conduits, and a top Wall depressed beneath the plane of the tops of said nipples and formed with a central opening of greater size than the portin face for fixture-members as canopies and t e like, said face being disposed throughout its entire extent in a lane substantially parallel with the outer ace of the fiat bottom, and the inner ends of the top portions of the nipples being formed with depressed flat surfaces disposed substantially in the plane of said outer face of the top wall, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I, your petitioner, MoR'roN IIAVENS, Jr., have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two attesting witnesses at Albany, inthe county of Albany, in the State of New York, this 15th day of 15 January, 1909, and II, your petitioner,

SAMUEL B. VAN RANST, have hereunto signed my vname in the presence of two attesting witnesses at Saranac Lake, in the county of Franklin, in the State of New York, this 6th day of January, 1909.

MORTON HAVENS, JR. SAMUEL B. VAN RANS'I.

Witnesses to signature of applicant Havens:

WM.- S I-IAcxE'r'r, y F. H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses to signaturer of applicant Van Ranst: FRANK C. MCGEE,

L. C. IRVINE. 

